Hall vs. Oates

On paper, or course, there's no contest. Daryl Hall sang most of the big hits and had better hair. Yet, in contrast to the other halves of such obviously lopsided duos-in-name-only like Wham, John Oates clearly contributed to Hall & Oates' success over the years. Anyone looking for proof that Oates provided some sort of je ne sais quoi to The duo need look no further than Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine.

Despite following a string of top-selling albums and hit singles for the duo, and against a backdrop of many listeners thinking "John who?", Hall's album was a commercial disappointment, with just one major hit in the form of "Dreamtime". Oates did almost as well, producing and co-writing the top 10 single "Electric Blue" for Icehouse around the same time. Clearly, they were better together so it's not surprising that they reconvened in 1987 for the album Ooh Yeah! Though that album was a relative disappointment, the duo has continued to work together for the past 20+ years.

For his part, Oates is a co-writer on several of the duo's biggest hits ranging from "Sara Smile" to "Out of Touch". He also co-wrote and sang my personal favorite Hall & Oates song, 1985's "Possession Obsession". I don't claim it's high art nor did it go high on the charts. Nonetheless, I've always loved its lyrics.

"The compulsion to count the percentage of time spent between two lovers can turn an hour into a crime. All the good times suffer."

I guess I just like to root for the underdog.